Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with V-Wars’ Laura Vandervoort

Laura Vandervoort is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading ladies. With over fifty credits to her name, she’s proven she can bring any character to life on the small or silver screen in projects including Smallville, This Means War, V, Bitten, and The Lookout. Currently, she can be seen sinking her teeth into her role as Mila Dubov in Netflix’s V-Wars, which finds doctor Luther Swann (Ian Somerhalder) pitted against his best friend, Michael Fayne (Adrian Holmes), after an ancient disease that turns people into vampires is released. Pop Culturalist caught up with Laura to chat all things V-Wars.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Laura: That’s a loaded question. [laughs] I started acting when I was twelve years old. I don’t know if I would consider it a passion when I started. It was just something that I was intrigued by. I was an athlete for most of my childhood, but I was inspired by a film that I saw as a young girl, and I asked my parents if I could try and do what that girl was doing. It was Anna Chlumsky in My Girl. My parents didn’t know anyone in the industry or how it worked, but they let me give it a try. I started out doing background work in Canada and kept auditioning from there.

I’ll say the passion portion of what I do really started to develop in the past five years. As I’ve become older as an actress, I started really enjoying the process of diving into characters and finding interesting ways to play them. Also, I’m finding joy in producing and developing. So it was later in life that I found the passion. At the beginning, it was curiosity.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Laura: I would say Gordon Pinsent. He’s a Canadian icon. If you ask any Canadian, they know of Gordon. He’s been a mentor since I was a young girl when I started on a show called Goosebumps. He would write me letters and give me advice on how to behave on set and how to be prepared. In terms of female mentors, that’s a hard one. I would have to go with Meryl Streep. I think everyone in the business idolizes her. But Gordon has definitely been there for my entire career.

PC: You’ve had tons of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Laura: Hmmm, when I was first cast in Smallville. That was a huge career shift for me and a big moment. Personally, it meant moving away from home and being a part of an established show. It introduced me to a new audience, especially in America, since I grew up doing work in Canada.

I’m not sure if I’ve had a particular moment that’s been end-all, be-all. It’s all been a progression. Every project that I’ve worked on has had some great memories and moments.

PC: You’ve been working as an actress since the age of twelve. What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Laura: Not to take it personally! [laughs] I think that’s one of the tough things about this industry, no matter what age you are, but especially when you’re twelve. Getting rejected is tough, and at that age, you do think it’s personal. As I’ve become older and begun casting things myself, I realized it’s not. The directors, casting people, and producers are trying to fit a particular vision that they have for that character. You can’t always be that. It’s not always about performance and ability. It’s how they envision their cast. It can be something as silly as height. It’s important not to take things personally.

Another thing I’ve learned is to enjoy the process and to have some laughs on set. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. Be yourself and enjoy the process when you can. Find those moments on set when you can step back and appreciate it.

V-Wars

PC: You’re currently starring in V-Wars. Tell us about your character.
Laura: On V-Wars, I play Mila Dubov. When you meet her, she is a quiet photographer who takes care of everyone but herself, including her sister and her sick mother. She becomes unwillingly affected by her sister. That again is an example of her sister being selfish. Mila has always had to take care of her whole family and never had a life of her own. For her sister to infect her and be so selfish in doing so, she took another opportunity from her to live her own life. Now, she has to become a whole new person outside of her own choice.

Mila is someone who eventually embraces the power that she’s given through this virus. She becomes a “Blood”—a vampire. She chooses to suppress those urges. She shows that there is heart and humanity in this new race of humans. She’s an example that it is nurture over nature. They can choose to not hurt people and to not kill. They can find other way to survive. She does so by feeding over blood bags from blood banks. She chooses to become a vigilante for the human race. She’s the only character that becomes in a way the Robin Hood. She’s protecting the humans—the poor—and fighting the Bloods—the rich.

PC: How did you prepare to tackle Mila’s transformation?
Laura: It wasn’t so much preparation. My character is sprinkled throughout the series. She really hits the ground running towards the season finale. Mila has her own storyline where she doesn’t really interact with the main characters. So as far as preparation, it was more about isolation and focusing on my scenes. [laughs] It was about finding the humanity in her when she does make the killings that she makes. It was trying to really think about her backstory, all she’s been through, and what she’s sacrificed for her family, especially her sister. I also had to understand the hatred that she feels for her sister. The preparation was really trying to understand her backstory and who she becomes.

PC: The series tackles a lot of topical issues that we’re facing in today’s climate. Does that add a different weight/pressure to the project?
Laura: It definitely does. We’ve seen vampire shows. I was hesitant at first when I didn’t know much about it or who was involved. I hadn’t read the script when the offer came in, so I was hesitant. But when I realized they were tackling issues that we’re dealing with now, like global warming, racism, borders, and politics, I think that was really smart on a genre show. It made me want to be a part of it. I was excited about tackling those issues in the way that we do.

PC: You touched upon this a bit earlier. Besides V-Wars, you’ve started doing work behind the scenes. What has that transition been like?
Laura: It’s been great! I might enjoy it more actually. [laughs] I recently developed and executively produced a short film. We’re starting the film festival circuit now. It stars my mentor Gordon Pinsent, so it was a full-circle moment. I cast him in it with the full intention that I wanted to work with him my whole life. Thankfully, he said yes. Jessica Patel, a friend of mine and a very, very talented director, also jumped onboard.

It was a nine-month process from my initial pitch to Jessica to our last day in post. We really feel like we had a baby. A baby that we’re really, really proud of. I think I’m enjoying this process because I wanted to be more involved with the content that I was putting out there. I wanted more control of it. I wanted to create projects and roles for actors that they wouldn’t normally get cast in. I wanted to go against the grain. I wanted to tell human stories. I’ve done so much sci-fi and genre work that I really wanted to strip everything down and be part of something that was raw and real and that we as humans can relate to, which is relationships.

I’m going to continue developing. I’m working on three other films. It’s a process. As an actress, I’m used to jumping on board and starting the next week. But when you’re producing and developing, it’s a couple years of commitment before you get into the production stage. I learned a lot of patience. I’m still working on that. [laugh]

PC: How has acting made you a better producer/developer and vice versa?
Laura: I appreciate the struggle that producers, casting directors, and directors go through now more than I did prior. I see how difficult it is to get everything lined up from your crew to your days to your shot list. I’m seeing that first hand now. Before, I took that for granted. I never saw the people behind the curtain. Now, I do. It makes me appreciate the entirety and all the nuts and bolts that go into the production. As an actor, I feel more open to discussing my thoughts and opinions with producers and directors because I do see that they’re willing to collaborate on ideas, whereas before, I thought they were on a pedestal and you couldn’t talk to them about your ideas. I realize now it is very collaborative.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Laura: I’m currently watching Sex Education, which is a hilarious, fantastic show. I guess Grace and Frankie is a guilty pleasure. There’s so much content out there right now. Every day someone is saying, “Have you seen so and so?” I’m also a huge fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Laura: The First Wives Club or Death Becomes Her. Those are my guilty pleasures growing up, and I still love to watch them when I want to tune out and enjoy something.

PC: Favorite book?
Laura: I really loved Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children when it came out. I read that front to back very quickly. I’m reading a couple of self-help books right now. One is called Unfu*k Yourself, which I find entertaining and insightful.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Laura: Dear Evan Hansen was fantastic. I loved Wicked years ago.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Laura: I’m all over the map. I was just listening to an Elton John playlist on the way in. I’m a huge fan of One Republic, Imagine Dragons, Drake, Fleetwood Mac—I’m all over. I like all genres.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Laura: I’d like to.

To keep up with Laura, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Binge-watch Season 1 of V-Wars on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Irvin Rivera